Home Minister denies there is delay in providing relief to wildfire and fire victims

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Rabi Lamichhane, has said that there is no delay in providing relief support to the people affected by forest fires and other fire incidents.

Addressing a discussion programme entitled, ‘The Current Status of Forests, Wildfires and Fire Incidents: Risks and Immediate Priorities’, organised at the Ministry today, the Home Minister asserted that the government’s priority is that there is no any let-up in the distribution of relief.

“It is not that the government is not in a position to feed a few hundred citizens during the time of disaster. Talking of relief, we have not made any delay in managing the resources. We have mobilized the resources,” he said.

Stating that although the scale of the disaster cannot be forecast, necessary preparedness can be done, the Home Minister said, “We can adopt precaution on the basis of information available, which will help in minimizing the loss of life and property from the disasters. It is necessary to prepare for disaster without repeating the mistakes committed in the previous year.”

He underscored on conducting public awareness programmes on this topic once a week in schools, and also on changing the way the public awareness programmes are conducted.

Home Minister Lamichhane suggested on increasing the capacity of the fire brigades and the fire trucks. He said the capacity of the ‘burn wards’ at the hospitals run by security bodies should also be expanded.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) under the Ministry, forest fire is reported at 46 places and other fire incidents at 43 places, and one death due to inferno, throughout the country in the last 24 hours.